#1 KENTUCKY at MISSISSIPPI STATE
When: 9 p.m.; Tuesday, Feb. 21
Where: Humphrey Coliseum; Starkville, Miss.
TV: ESPN; Radio: Big Blue Sports Network
Last Season: Feb. 15, 2011 - @Kentucky 85, Miss. State 79
Records: Kentucky (26-1, 12-0); Miss. State (19-8, 6-6)

(Photo by 247 Sports' Jeff Drummond)

Notes: Kentucky leads the all-time series 87-20, including 31-12 in Starkville...The Cats have won three straight after losing three consecutive meetings, leaving the last six times these two teams have played split down the middle...UK is 3-0 against the Bulldogs since John Calipari took over but two of those games have gone to overtime and the total margin of victory has been 13 points...Mississippi State made 12 three-pointers in last season's meeting, nearly pulling the upset in Rupp Arena...Terrence Jones had 17 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in that game...Doron Lamb had 20 points, made 7-of-8 shots and all three of his three-pointers in that game last season...Mississippi State coach Rick Stansbury is a Kentucky native.

2011-12 MISS. STATE RESULTS
Nov. 7 - EASTERN KENTUCKY (W, 76-66)
Nov. 9 – AKRON (L, 58-68)
Nov. 12 - SOUTH ALABAMA (W, 80-65)
Nov. 17 - vs. Texas A&M^ (W, 69-60)
Nov. 18 - vs. Arizona^ (W, 67-57)
Nov. 21 – LA.-MONROE (W, 78-63)
Nov. 25 – TENNESSEE-MARTIN (W, 76-50)
Nov. 27 - NORTH TEXAS (W, 82-59)
Dec. 3 - WEST VIRGINIA# (W, 75-62)
Dec. 10 – TROY (W, 106-68)
Dec. 13 - FLORIDA ATLANTIC (W, 75-68)
Dec. 17 - at Detroit Mercy (W, 80-75)
Dec. 22 - vs. Northwestern St.+ (W, 82-67)
Dec. 28 - vs. Baylor% (L, 52-54)
Dec. 31 - UTAH STATE (W, 66-64)
Jan. 7 - at Arkansas (L, 88-98)
Jan. 12 - TENNESSEE (W, 62-58)
Jan. 14 - ALABAMA (W, 56-52)
Jan. 18 - at Ole Miss (L, 68-75)
Jan. 21 - at Vanderbilt (W, 78-77)*
Jan. 25 - LSU (W, 76-71)
Jan. 28 - at Florida (L, 57-69)
Feb. 4 – AUBURN (W, 91-88)
Feb. 9 - OLE MISS (W, 70-60)
Feb. 11 – GEORGIA (L, 68-70)*
Feb. 14 – at LSU (L, 67-69)*
Feb. 18 – at Auburn (L, 55-65)
*overtime; ^2K Classic, New York, N.Y.; #Big East-SEC Challenge; +Jackson, Miss.; %Dallas, Texas

BULLDOGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
CENTER OF ATTENTION - Arnett Moultrie
Junior, Forward
2011-12 Statistics: 16.5 points, 10.8 rebounds

Bio Buzz: Moultrie isn't a freshman but he would clearly rank as one of the Southeastern Conference's top newcomers upon joining Mississippi State's lineup after sitting out the 2010-11 season as a transfer from UTEP. The freakish 6-foot-11 athlete leads the league in double doubles, having posted 15 in his first 27 games while averaging a double double for the year. He's a terrific scorer, can step out and hit a jumper if forced and is 76 percent from the free throw line.

There was a time when Kentucky looked into the thought of adding Moultrie before he eventually landed in Starkville, where he has played so well he ranks in the conference's top five in scoring, field goal percentage, rebounding and offensive rebounding. His matchup with Anthony Davis will be the best frontcourt showdown of the season in the SEC.

Dee Bost
Senior, Guard
2011-12 Statistics: 15.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists

Bio Buzz: Bost ranks as one of the nation's most underrated players, a tremendous talent that has been overshadowed in his own conference by flashier players. The SEC's active career leader in assists and steals is one of the best scorer's around, is sneaky good on defense and has had some of his better games against Kentucky in the past (16.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists in four career meetings). Bost has not always shot it well from deep against UK though, hitting just 9-of-29 threes in those contests.

Renardo Sidney
Junior, Forward
2011-12 Statistics: 10.4 points, 5.2 rebounds

Bio Buzz: No one sums up what has gone on in Starkville more than Sidney, the gifted but troubled big man who was suspended by the NCAA for more than year and then returned to get into a very public fight with a teammate. That said, Sidney can be a dominant post player when he buys into the team concept and matures to the point where he can be trusted to do the right thing all the time. Until then, there is no excuse for a kid that big to barely average five rebounds a game.

Rodney Hood
Freshman, Guard
2011-12 Statistics: 11.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists

Bio Buzz: Rick Stansbury absolutely adores long, lanky wing guards who can jack up a three-point shot and he has apparently found his heir apparent to Ravern Johnson in Hood, the 6-foot-8, 180-pound string bean with a sensational shooting stroke. Hood has gotten better as the year has gone on, making 37.6 percent of his threes and has only turned the basketball over 25 times in his first 27 games. He also averages nearly as many rebounds per game than the 280-pound Renardo Sidney.

Jalen Steele
Sophomore, Guard
2011-12 Statistics: 7.8 points, 1.8 rebounds

Bio Buzz: Steele is the classic three-point specialist, having taken nearly 75 percent of his shot attempts from beyond the arc this season. That's not necessarily a bad thing – and you know Stansbury loves a guy that will jack up threes – given Steele has sat around the 40 percent mark for much of the year. There isn't much else to the sophomore's game but he will kill you if you don't locate him in the Bulldogs' offense.